Didn't know I was having a mid life crisis. I just thought It'd be fun to learn guitar.
10
Middle aged men are still buying silly sports cars. That hasn’t stopped, unfortunately. Don’t ask me how I know.
18
#
Like the Ferrari, it's not going to help you on your way to meet Thanatos, God of the peaceful inorganic world. It's just another of many sublimations. There is only one thing that will meet your needs as to this matter, Philosophy.
"To philosophize is to learn how to die"
This quote has many authors: Socrates, Plato, Cicero & Montaigne
But Philosophy is tough stuff, and there is no comfort in the truth of the organic world. However, once you find out the truth you're only too happy to join the inorganic realm.
N.b., Sublimations defined here within as sexual energy converted into social phenomena e.g., buildings, art, Ferraris, will to power, etc...
"The hour of departure has arrived and we go our ways; I to die, and you to live. Which is better? Only God knows."
Socrates
4
I guess the headline to this article explains the number of comments referencing how important a fast car is or was to the writer. I'd love you to take up painting or acting or guitar instead just for the reason that I have to share the roads with you maniacs, who are shortening my midlife :) (Maybe this is especially a regional thing. I take my life in my hands whenever I drive around Raleigh or Indianapolis.) Please use a closed track to see how fast your car can go and to race with other maniacs, not the roads the rest of us have to share with you.
4
They should study philately ! Its challenging and intellectual and allows for creativity .
2
People are happier when they create. A small handful of people will be fortunate to earn their keep in the arts, but most won't.
"The arts are not a way to make a living. They are a very human way of making life more bearable. Practicing an art, no matter how well or badly, is a way to make your soul grow, for heaven's sake. Sing in the shower. Dance to the radio. Tell stories. Write a poem to a friend, even a lousy poem. Do it as well as you possible can. You will get an enormous reward. You will have created something.”
-- Kurt Vonnegut
13
Give me even a slower Ferrari any day and I will give you a paint brush and as many colors as you can possibly use.
3
Obviously, no one here has driven a Ferrari.
9
these ideas and concepts have been part of Jungian psychology almost 100 years.
1
i've just roared thru my 37th or 38th midlife crisis -- lost count; actually passed midlife coupla exit ramps ago -- and there is NOTHING in this world or any other that can ultimately vanquish those depressing things, or sweep away their remnants, more thoroughly than a fast car! (boozy illicit affair optional.)
4
...unless the Ferrari can be one's paintbrush.
1
For me it's softball, tennis and trying to salvage childhood piano lessons. I thought I wanted a Ferrari but I found out you can't get a Ferrari with a stick shift anymore. I'll settle for a Corvette.
6
For me, among many other things, it is writing. I write comments in the « reader comments » sections of articles at The New York Times. I enjoy it.
9
I bought one thing. It is a big honkin Dodge forget the rword
Crew Cab Pickup and I like the way it was created, rides like a Rolls and looks great. Thank You.
1
We have a president who has indulged his ever superficial whim and prurient desire - and reading about his lack of intellect and lack of curiosity day in and day out makes me want to explore my inner artist too!
4
If only George Bush Jr. had picked up a paintbrush before deciding he wanted to be president. Think how much better the world would have been.
Alas, I don't think it's in the current president's DNA, who seems to be perennially stuck in mid-life crisis, to seek out any artistic endeavor unless it involves potentially a lot of gold plating.
11
This article is nonsense. Why not actually look at prospects for creativity by what actually occurs on the NYTimes pages? Why not look at New York city today itself? From what I see the Macarthur genius awards will probably next year reward genius if it is first socialist and ideally socialist and by some minority group member. On the right wing side we can expect the likes of David Brooks to prosper for years to come. Creativity in the U.S. now is entirely controlled by the political. Nobody likes an individual let alone a great one not in some political party or other and subordinate to its interests.
But if people are interested in creativity today and want to make some money and not necessarily be under the influence of this political party or that I suggest they go to Hollywood for Hollywood needs a creative solution to a very serious problem: Hollywood has ratcheted the violence level in movies over the years to the point that it can't go any farther, that the apocalyptic is all that remains. How often do we see films today coming out of Hollywood which show the hero going through truly absurd levels of violence? All that remains is to give every hero super powers and have him or her go through incredible violence. Hollywood needs greater violence and greater super powers for heroes. I'm thinking an apocalyptic God vs. Satan film is in order or at least a Hillary/Trump wrestling movie.
Let's face it, everybody despises an actual individual. You're group or nobody.
3
No one having a midlife crisis buys a Ferrari. Maybe a high end Nissan or a Ford Mustang. By the time you're able to afford a Ferrari, you're too old to be able to get in and out of it. https://www.financialsamurai.com/the-best-mid-life-crisis-cars-to-buy/
4
What's wrong with the fast car, though?
5
Just surf. Trust me on that one.
5
Sorry, in my admittedly old-fashioned experience, a boozy, illicit affair beats taking up singing, dancing, painting or playing guitar. Tried them all. Indeed, one good boozy, illicit affair beats singing and dancing and painting and playing guitar combined. If you haven't tried it, don't knock it. True, you'll most likely end up married to someone else, but that may well turn out to the best thing that ever happened to you. It's not a very upstanding, moral path, but your personal road to happiness may well run through a boozy, illicit affair...or two. P.S., flashy sports cars are overrated and far more expensive than liquor. Walk to your local bar.
7
Pursuing the meaning of life: Do what is meaningful to you and not what others expect you to do. LIVE while you can.
4
The internet makes inroads to our inner life. It used to be TV modeled for us. Then they sold us other stuff. Now they have real time observation, and empty nesters and those that can afford it are isolated and lonely.
Yes, wealthy working New Yorker's need to read this. While on Wall St in the 80's and 90's as a programmer I brushed elbows with people that already had enough to own their house(s) free and clear and send their children thru college three times over, but was the money enough to retire? Somehow, no. Sure, some would say they loved their job or they were greedy and that's why they hung on, but I think moreover they lacked any real creativity. They're probably still working that old soul-drying bank. I retired early and built my own house --learned welding, machining, and this morning I'm laying some concrete block. True self-sufficiency is the overall goal. I really love it, but I have an unusual affinity for physical labor, even now at 58, which was pounded into me at an early age. I admit however, as the a previous poster noted, it does take money --a significant chunk of your nest egg.
Obviously ya'll have never had the Ferrari or the Porsche! But good on ye for stimulating creativity. I've never known any other life since I was 5.
1
I'm a creative who took up a professional career as part of midlife crisis. I'm good at it, pays the bills. Still paint. I meet a lot of artists and musicians in other professions
3
once-upon-a-time there was a panel in the old B.C. comic strip.
a young man asks his dad what "it takes" to become a painter, the dad replies "paint."
While, as the piece says, many do not leave their jobs to take up painting, I have done just that. And yes, at some point I will have to put the brush down and go back to work, but I wouldn't trade these last months for any job I've ever held in my life. You can see some of my work on IG if you care to, under the handle "TvFoodAndDrink" Painting is something I'd never done in my life until about two years ago, and it has probably saved my sanity.
2
Spot on. Don’t worry about whether or you you’re any good. You’ll improve. I tell people these activities theach me humility, they open up the right side of the brain and that gives you an entirely different perspective.
2
Many years ago a dear friend and colleague of mine went out on his 50th birthday and bought a Porsche 928. His wife's only comment was that he was suffering from male meno-Porsche.
5
Oh, man. I would LOVE to rent a night club, buy a diva dress, and get up to sing torch songs all night. I guess my poor family, and a few friends, would have to be my audience. Oh yeah, baby.
5
When my youngest graduated from high school, I publicly challenged myself to learn how to paint by studying the life and work of Vincent Van Gogh.
With Vincent’s help, I made 52 paintings in a single year and wrote a blog (I barely knew how to turn on a computer) about the successes, failures (so, so many failures!), and everything I learned along the way (http://vincentprojectblog.blogspot.com).
Vincent, who also knew a thing or two about starting over, taught me how to paint, and how to shake up my thinking and become an artist.
Once I learned enough about painting, I shifted my focus to hand embroidery (something I loved as a child), combined that with the painting techniques I had taught myself, and threw in a passionate, focused study of all the art history I had been too “practical” to take in college.
In the past three years I have won prizes, shown all over the country (5 shows this summer alone), am selling work to serious collectors and have more than 1400 followers on Instagram (@catherinehicksartandembroidery). Not bad for somebody who was previously “just a Mom.”
When I first announced my blog project, I got a lot of eye rolls and comments about “middle age crazy,” but I made a decision that art was an important part of my life, and, after making that decision every day for a couple of years, it was.
Artist Susan O’Malley said it best: “Art Before Dishes.”
It’s that simple: ART before dishes. Or anything else.
3
These are all very good things.
But I think a Porsche Panamera would make me pretty happy. :)
1
Forget all the blather about creativity. Pushing colored mushy goop around on a flat surface while you try to make it conform to your will makes for as much meaning as using words. It's no wonder so many people want to do it.
Even so, the art of painting as practiced by real painters and as manifested in the long history of painting, must be given its due. Any mid-life amateur looking for "fulfillment" in painting who neglects this truth will rapidly turn into a fool.
In the end, painting is like a tall ladder that anyone can step onto and begin to climb. How high up one can go--or even wants to go--is an entirely different matter. Everyone, however, needs to remember to pause and look up--not to be made afraid, but to discover Velázquez sits on the very top rung.
2
Visual art expresses what words cannot.
Cartooning - I draw cartoons. At 45, that's my creative outlet. I tried for years to grow up - to grow out of it. But, alas. :P
http://www.rgbcartoon.com/
3
Creative endeavors are happening to people of all ages. We're tired of electronic gadgets, they're not fulfilling. Writing music on a laptop; taking photos on a iPhone; painting a landscape on a iPad. Nonsense! Pick up a real paint brush or tickle the piano keys you'll be happier and live a joyful life.
4
There is nothing wrong with either one (fast cars or painting) as long as you don't abuse them.
What I mean by this is that owning a fast car is ok if you can afford it and truly enjoy it and not use it as a "I got it and you don't" ugly reason.
Same with art, it has always coincided with advancements in society but it doesn't mean if you don't do it you are bad.
I am not good at art and also think the great majority of art today is ugly, whether it be modern art, graffiti , tats etc.
I rather take up gardening or some other hobby.
I never saw any art work, including the greats that was more beautiful than a simple garden.
4
I loved this piece. Thank you.
3
Writing (through blogging) about gardening and the natural world was my route back into creativity towards the end of a work life that was inventive and challenging- but not personally creative.
Writing and photography encouraged observation and reflection and the ability to edit my posts freed me of the self-editing and critical voice. It was magic.
http://www.naturalgardening.blogspot.com
1
I retired at the age of 43, and that was 31 years ago. I never had a mid-life crisis. First a weaver, then an actor, and now a trashfilm director with screenings in locales like Sudbury, Ontario; Kassel, Germany and Mexico City, Mexico. A few films have made the Troma label (if you know what that is).
Married 50 years next year, I find all kinds of ingenius ways to get into trouble; but if I had a million dollars, I'd still drive my Honda Civic, take care of the sheep in the barn, and wear my dirty blue jeans.
I just finished a micro-short film yesterday that I submitted today to a film festival in Beograd, Srbija. "Tales from Outer Space: 'The Destructor' " It's a 90-second, 1950s-style, black and white, animation film featuring an extraterrestrial robot. Yeh, that kind of film.
Who needs a Maserati when he/she can travel the world with their films?
8
It's possible to live in good health for 40 years after age 60. That's a lot of time to fill up.
4
I dunno. There's a lot to be said for a fast convertible. I dig my Porsche.
2
Art is overrated here. Gardening, forestry, mindful exposure and working in nature are intrinsically more creative than art, which tends to be ego driven and thusly z bit narcissistic, with a dose of affluenza as a side effect.
Just sayin.
2
nothing beats a Ferrari
1
My creativity has increased in relationship to my declining interest in having possessions. Too much time in my life had been spent maintaining and storing possessions which in the end the kids will be taking to Goodwill anyway.
And after the 2016 elections I've reduced my familial possessions as well; holiday meals are smaller and much more more enjoyable!
5
Fine as far as it goes, but I can think of three ways to build on it.
"Creativity" and "meaning" don't have to be defined so conventionally and narrowly.
Creativity can include non-"artsy" things like using interdisciplinary skills, perhaps developed over the course of numerous prior careers, to put insights together that a world which continues to worship specialists miss.
To what end? That's easy. Changing the context of "meaning" from just personal fulfillment and growth (not at all a bad thing) to the greater good is not just another option. Our society and world are flailing. We are in serious trouble! Mid-lifers, although often overlooked, are badly needed and may have the skill sets to play key roles--even if they have to invent names for the latter.
And that's the final point. People at that time of life may have capabilities and qualities they did not earlier. I am attempting to do some things in my low-60's I failed at, or wasn't ready for, in my 20's. (Yes, of course there have to be some accommodations.)
Who has the time or luxury for a midlife crisis?
9
Well said! Thank you for these insights.
Hmm, I still think taking a young lover is a great way to handle the midlife crisis, if done responsibly. But being creative is good, too.
In my 40s, I did both. Young lover and a dedicated exploration of the creative paths I had abandoned in my 20s to pursue financial stability.
And the result a decade later?
A loving husband who gets me like few others in my life ever have. An enormous expansion in my social world, partly fueled by whole new circles of sewing friends, of storytelling friends, of maker friends, of board game playing friends, of dancing friends and their networks, and partly fueled by renewed ties with old friends who now look to me for ideas for stories, companionship and for ideas for what to do with their free time. And a new career and a new home. And a cat.
Also, cats are good for a midlife crisis, too!
9
After retiring from a career in teaching, I have found more time for artistic pursuits, but I still think there is nothing as creatively stimulating as teaching. I still teach for part of the year and find nothing more invigorating. I am sure other people feel similarly about their careers.
Pursuing art in later years may be more about exploring something different one also enjoys than replacing non-creative undertakings with creative ones.
I have not found in my life that having deep expertise in one thing makes it harder for me to pursue other interests at which I am not, and will likely never be, highly proficient. I think it makes it easier to accept being clunky at something if one has been extremely proficient in other arenas.
4
Thank you for this thoughtful comment.
I recommend a wonderful book by Eric Booth called "The Everyday Work of Art." Among other things, Booth reminds us that almost everything we do, all the time, calls upon our artful skills and that art and that the pleasure of living is employing those skills. To retain our happiness, at all periods in life, we would do well to bring our attention to how we choose to make and appreciate art, whether it is in simply setting an attractive table for a meal or visiting a museum.
2
Ceramics...for some reason working with clay allows the mind to settle, thoughts to vanish and blood pressure to decrease...
2
While heartening in some ways, this article makes at least four questionable assumptions: that the "midlife crisis" is a universal phenomenon, that it marks the beginnings of retirement or slowing down, that those suffering from some kind of midlife crisis are in need of something meaningful and satisfying (and creative) to do, and that one can attain "creativity" by pursuing it.
First, not everyone goes through a midlife crisis--at least not the kind implied here. Many fiftyish-year-olds are in the middle of careers, projects, and other endeavors that they find meaningful and intend to continue.
Second, those in midlife (whether accompanied by crisis or not) have a lot to look forward to: not a slow sunset but, if they are fortunate, a few more decades of intellectual and physical vigor. I speak hopefully but also realistically; I have seen this happen.
Third, a midlife crisis, when it does occur, can assume many forms. It can bring questioning, focus, intensity, levity--and does not necessarily point toward new hobbies.
Fourth, creativity often comes through long practice and tinkering. It does not always proclaim itself. As others have commented, the arts are hard work. Yes, it can be rewarding to try a new instrument or pick up the paintbrush. There is nothing wrong with doing these things for fun, as amateurs. But many others are committed to the serious pursuit, day after day and year after year--and may forget, in the midst of their work, to call it "creative."
7
People should not wait until a crisis to examine their lives. That should happen daily. We don't have that many days on earth we need to make sure each one is productive and joyful.
8
Art (in this case, music) is all about bringing happiness to (or evoking other emotions from) others. I played classical piano for years and then, when my kids were born, got completely sidetracked. Sold the piano (long story). Continued to listen to music though, and with thousands of LPs, had an endless supply.
When I turned 50 I discovered YouTube. I obtained some software from my computer and started to digitize recordings on LP that had never been commercially transferred to CD.
Today my classical music channel boasts over 30,000 subscribers, with nearly 7,000 music videos. I weave images of the slipcase and LP label into the music; sometimes I will include the full score of the piece, or excerpts (if its orchestral for example).
THIS is my creativity now... sometimes I long for a keyboard but, after trying out dozens of electronic brands, cannot settle for anything less than an old fashioned grand, which I cannot afford at the moment.
Meantime, this brings me great joy, and I have established contacts with thousands of music lovers around the world.
PS: I drive an old Toyota Corolla. You can usually find me in the far right lane on the highway, doing 55.
7
I love this example! Creativity comes in many forms. Thanks for sharing.
3
Art is art whether created by a 2 year old, a 50 year old, or someone being paid. I've seen some amazing art by those that have no desire to take payment for their work. A commercial transaction is not a litmus test for talent or what constitutes artistry.
3
Perhaps it is my age but it may also be the age we are living in but I've come to appreciate art and artists more than ever. We need artistic expression in all its forms as it communicates emotion, perspective, and draws us into a subject without boundaries, regulation, or commercial agreement. Art is a powerful form of protest and appeals to our common desires, hopes, and fears. It allows us to see what is hidden in plain sight and grounds us in what it means to be human.
6
A lot of us women (and a few good men) have known this for years. We are the quilters, creating beautiful useful coverings and sometimes wall art out of fabric. We are the knitters, making clothing and blankets to be fondled and admired. We are the bead weavers, turning tiny pieces of glass into wearable works of art or wall art. We create in addition to our "day" jobs because it is a part of who we are. And sometimes our creative spirits guide us to our next career, selling the objects that help us create or teaching others how to do what we do. And as a side benefit, great friendships are often born with like-minded creators.
2
This is all very nice. But it is important not to confuse this kind of lovely self-expression and 'the artist's way' with the work of real artists. "Art"--literature, visual arts, the performing arts, music composition, choreography, etc--is hard work. Practicing artists of every kind work every day, often seven days a week, throughout their lives. It's a job, often financially precarious without the back up of a banker's portfolio or a partnership in a law firm . Or anything at all.
It's as though, for a mid-life crisis, a working artist decided to take up a little doctoring, or a little lawyering, or a little public relations.
While I applaud everyone's participation in the arts, in any way or form they like--it's a little tiresome for painters and novelists and musicians to hear, at a dinner party, 'oh, I paint too!" and "I'm working on a novel!" or "Yes, I play the violin!"
14
I'm one of those dinosaurs who studied Liberal Arts including "Music Appreciation," "Art History" and the rest. Music lessons and museum visits started in childhood. Also nature walks with 'look at the beauty' and all that sort of stuff that seems like a century ago, but wasn't.
These things made me love arts and want them in my life. They also made me humble and appreciative: loving music, even tickling the keys, isn't the same as being Mozart.
6
At a family summer camp several years ago, I attended the "Arts and Crafts" room several times, including a session on making mosaics on flower pots and little boxes. They were rather silly little projects, but I was hooked. The joy of planning a new project--I've moved on to table tops, stained glass and wall-hanging pictures--is beyond anything else I do. Colors, designs and the way to lay out the tiles can fill my mind all day as I go about other activities. All by accident. Who knew I was looking for a creative outlet? Not me. But wow--it is so great!
3
I went the opposite way. I'd always been creative, a musician, visual artist and writer of fiction. It wasn't until I turned 44 that I entered academia because I wanted to know I could do something else. It was difficult at first adopting a more linear approach to thinking, especially when there is a fairly tight rubric around historical research, but after a while I found my stride. Long story short, it may take a bold leap of faith to re-imagine yourself after being 'something else' for a couple decades (at least) but you get so much joy out of it, self-confidence and satisfaction most of all.
6
This article is spot on. I am fortunate that my profession (structural engineer) gives me the opportunity to be creative every day, and at 63 I hope to continue enjoying that creativity for years to come. But I’ve recently discovered the joy of music. I briefly took guitar lessons in 1966, put the guitar down for 50 years, and then resumed taking lessons in 2016. Music is cross-training for my brain, and it is so much fun! And community theater. I’ve had minor roles in two Shakespeare performances in the last three years. And I’m now rehearsing for a large upcoming dance performance (with 150 other non-professional dancers) at the upcoming Philadelphia Fringe Festival in September! Who needs Ferrari when I can feel the thrill of playing classical guitar in front of an audience, be an angry Roman citizen in Coriolanus, or dance with 150 new friends in front of an audience of several thousand? My cure for aging joyfully is learning new things, engaging with others, making new friends, and leaping outside the boredom of my comfort zone.
5
I’m a 70 year old guy that took up mandolin 16 months ago. I did buy a nice instrument as it makes me want to pick it up and play it - which always makes me feel good. It was also made by true crafts people for which I’m very grateful. I fail all the time in my attempts to play it but am getting better. Also, when I retired from full time work, I knew I needed two things: a community to be a part of and a way to make myself relevant to me. Having written a few songs this year, I’m trying to connect with beauty in my life. So this endeavor has been well worth it.
8
Both of my parents retired at 55 with no plans, no hobbies, and no physical activities...and they have spent the last thirty years fighting over the remote and with each other as they crawl through their days filled with boredom. However, each of us kids have chosen a different path to filling our days as we march through our 50's. My brother sails in the Caribbean, another bicycles competitively, I am beginning a PhD program in Medieval history, and my sister has taken up kick boxing. All of us have learned that life really begins in your fifties and that this is finally the time for each of us to become more uniquely ourselves. I am so grateful and excited to be going through such a wonderful period in my life, and feel such a sadness for my parents who, to this day, still just argue over what to watch on TV.
18
I always feel creative when I am cooking. Also when I am building something, even if it’s something as mundane as book shelves.
12
Acknowledging my modest artistic talents, I prefer, in retirement, to read bios of great artists. I can highly recommend Hilary Spurling's, The Unknown Matisse. (A Life of Henri Matisse). You learn, for example, that there really are starving artists, it's not just a figure of speech. First rate biography, to rival Robert Caro on LBJ.
3
I think, perhaps, there are two kinds of "creativity"...the difference between art and craft...each is creative in their own way...
Sitting in cafes drinking lattes and writing one's memoir, or sketching tropical flowers in a greenhouse might resonate with New Yorkers--and that is good.
However, I would like to recognize the millions like my parents (both children of immigrant peasants) who know that creativity is an essential part of life. They framed it in terms of working with one's hands--my father made furniture and my mother sewed and knit.
Therefore, this is a big shout-out for quilters and weavers, wood carvers, knitters and old car restorers and for people who sing in church choirs, folks who color and do paint-by-number, everywhere. Expressions of creativity permeate our world; we have only to look.
87
In my twenties, I made a conscious, firm decision to "follow my bliss" and never allow myself to take money for anything that wasn't creative, or that I didn't love to do.
I've had a lifelong creative career that happily and successfully wandered through performing and music, fashion and textile design, architectural and furniture design, with world travel consulting with corporations and governments on design and marketing along the way.
Today, at what is called "retirement age," nothing has changed. I continue to follow my creative bliss and build it into a way to support my life. There is nothing to retire from, only the next thing I'm walking toward.
What a trip, and what a blast life is!!
7
This not new. Many artists could tell you that from day one their workshops were full of older, often retired people exploring their creative sides. Retired people sit down to collect their stories in clunky memoirs. Time once spent with kids is devoted to a creative pursuit that was a long-percolating dream. I can't count the number of people I know who picked up neglected musical instruments once the kids were grown. Old story. What is fairly new is the commodifying of this -- the books, the workshops to help decide on more workshops, the how-to guides (huh? just DO it) time spent broadcasting this scintillating news (I took a tap class!) to feed the social media beast. The subtext, too, seems to be that older people long for community. I'm betting it's not the butterfly paintings, but the time with other people, that fortifies.
24
Since the definition of 'midlife' seems to have morphed over the years I stuck 'midlife crisis' into a search engine. Wikipedia said something about 40 to 64 years of age. I don't know about the rest of you out there, but 64 strikes me as being pretty far from the middle of the human lifespan.
So I've decided not to pretend I'm in some stage and have to follow someone else's rules. Being me is just fine, aching joints and all, and I will continue trying to live life to the fullest in the time I have left.
5
Good advice, but I’m still gonna use my sports car to drive to those painting lessons.
This isn’t mutually exclusive.
And also - don’t conflate interest in vintage sports cars with modern vanity purchases. to each their own.
8
A little over two years ago I took up throwing pottery on a wheel. I probably will never be great at it, but my bowls and mugs are getting better and bigger, my decoration more interesting and my ambition greater. As far as worrying about it being an elitest pursuit, as one writer below suggested, I cannot afford a potter's wheel or a kiln or expensive equipment. Once a week, a take a day out of my job as a full time freelance writer, and take an adult education class at a local community college (at senior citizen prices). They have the wheels, the kilns and the glazes and supply the clays at a student price. It's very satisfying and I just wish I had tried my hand at this when I was younger.
8
At age 40 I started playing trumpet again (left it behind at 22). At age 43 I took voice lessons and joined the church choir. At age 52 I began taking guitar lessons every week. At age 60 I put on a concert for 50 friends. At age 63, you guessed it, I bought the Porsche. Now that I’m 66 it’s the Porsche I’ll be driving to see my guitar teacher this morning.
10
Sorry but why is this article in "news analysis" section? Shouldnt it be in "lifestyles" or something akin to that?
Here's the thing. Many many people aren't creatively-driven. As a creative person myself I came to realize after decades that some people "see" the world in a very linear form. Give them a box of colored markers and they will look at you like you are insane.
Creativity takes inspiration of some sort (artists know this but non-creatives dont). It is why people constantly write or draw when they could be doing something else. I know this article writer means well; but it is basically hallmark card happy fluff and a bit galling to those who are creatively-driven and live in a world where most folks see things in a more literal fashion.
9
I believe regular physical exercise is necessary to health, and I believe the same of regular creativity. Neither one requires elite equipment or lessons, though both require time and focus. Even writing, sketching, painting or singing for 30 minutes daily can work wonders. My partner cooks creatively and gardens. It can be what you want. Just as with physical exercise and sport: some are pro's, some are high-level amateurs, some are just dedicated walkers... and that's OK.
"Better late than never" is true of both exercise and creativity. But "start early and make it a lifelong habit" is better. Modern society promotes physical unfitness, also conformity and follow-the-leader. If more people felt comfortable with "color outside the lines," perhaps there would be less focus on defining those lines.
12
Right around my 50th I bought a beach house in California, an MX5 and an Alfa Romeo. By near 55 I chucked it all for an apartment in Switzerland. No car. No house. Kids on their own. Middle age works for me. Slept until 10 this morning. Now the sprint to 65...
8
While I agree with the gist of the article it feels elitist -- possibly because it's tailored to an NYT audience! Essentially, the advice is sound but unavailable to the majority of the world's population struggling to cope with their daily needs and too exhausted or too poor to experiment with time consuming and often expensive hobbies.
However, even if affluent NYT readers are inspired to substitute hobbies for Porsches the article has done some good. There is indeed a major trend towards awareness of things non-material, such as the environment, quality time with family and friends, ecologically friendly consumption and non-sedentary activities.
For many, the benefits of creative activity outweigh the short term pleasures of expensive toys.
29
I took a wonderful drawing/painting workshop this week in the heart of Manhattan. It cost $35 for 3 hours, included all materials and was from 6-9 PM. It is as affordable as a movie, a few lattes or dinner out. It does not interfere with traditional working hours. Where there's a will, there's a way.
3
Creativity is an over and misused word that gives license to the talentless to create bad art and disrespects the innovations and skills of people who pursue more prosaic pastimes.
If you want to paint and write but aren't good at it, be my guest. But please, please, please don't ask me what I think. Honesty and good manners are in short supply these days and I prefer to not choose between them.
18
"Honesty and good manners are in short supply these days and I prefer to not choose between them."
Honesty -- which is telling people exactly what you think -- is often tacky and meanly driven by the speaker. Dont do that at parties M: no one will appreciate it.
5
Patrick Melrose is alive and well in Cape Cod. Phew. Good manners might be in short supply but apparently judgementalism is not.
So, you would completely shut down another person’s journey because you don’t know how to offer support and constructive criticism? What if the person seeking your support and input on improvement is your kid, or grandkid?
I'd like to write something but it's 5:30 am and gotta get going on a job in a creative field where turns out I make more money, I'm my own boss, my clients show me encouragement and gratitude and are excited to come to their appointments. I'll never work for The Man again.
5
I turned 54 this week. Took a day off - trimmed the bushes and power-washed the house. That's about as creative as I get.
31
It doesn't have to wait until midlife. It's possible to pursue one's hobbies and interests earlier in life while one works to pay the bills and so forth. But key to that is having good work family balance. In midlife, though, it might become easier to spend more time on them once those commitments wane.
1
Buy a sports car... every one should ‘drive smaller’ and ‘drive fun’ but also do watercoloring, one does not cancel the other!
4
Good to know that fabulism is still possible.
A Ferrari or a paintbrush? I'll take a Ferrari 488 and PRETEND that I'm painting as I accelerate from 0-60 in 2.9 seconds.
4
At 55 I had an accident, which left me unable to walk for six months. I made a pact with myself, if I got out of that mess I would walk around the world. After surgery and physio therapy, I sold my house and everything in it, and am now on country 66. I have one suitcase. I didn't have a lot of money and don't now, but I have a head full of experiences and a heart full of friends that I have met along the way. I won't take anything with me but my memories.
141
Inspirational and impressive. You should write a book about your experiences.
3
I think this is going much deeper. It´s part of a big turnaround going for more than 20 years.
It started when wealthy people decided not to buy the biggest Mercedes affordable but much smaller cars or not to buy the biggest fancy bungalow in Park lane. Then many who ing in cities having good public transport rejected to buy any car
It´s a shift from optimal compliance to social standards or showing the Jones the latest aquisition to individual well being. This brings forth strange blossoms sometimes. Some of the wildest Rock Stars "on the road" are passionate gardeners owning urban allotment gardens now. 30 years ago this would have been the ultimate no-go, immebiately being punished by burning all LPs and CDs by their fans. Nowadays it´s alright. Growing flowers and some tomatos is as useless in a material world as painting amateur pictures is but it brings more individual fun than anything else.
This shift is no fantasy. It is as real as it can be. In zoning standards mandatory numbers of parking area or carports for upper middle class residential areas offering excellent public transport connections are reduced due to experience that many of these kind of people were done with big cars as status symbols. They are still wealthy and they are still riding around so their setting of priorities must have shifted from showing the world the new Ferrari to more personal time - for creativity for example.
Some of them still own BMWs in countryside garages for weekends.
4
Between the ages of 50 and 55 from 1995 to 2000 I researched and planned the design of my dream retirement home in Hawaii. This provided the opportunity to meet many fascinating and creative people including architects, building contractors, and landscape designers.
After purchasing three acres of rain forest on the Big Island, I retired on schedule and began construction. One year later, my dream home was finished and we moved in.
Despite the home being a smashing success, traveling around Europe and reading Peter Mayles book, A Year In Provence, led my wife and I to embark on a retirement adventure of becoming expatriates in the south of France. The dream home in Hawaii was sold and a new one was built in an ancient French village called Vaison la Romaine.
Soon after selling the dream home in Hawaii, Madame Pele became distraught and visited her lava wrath on our old neighborhood in Leilani Estates.
After fifteen years in France spent learning a new language and becoming French we realized that our most creative project was not tied to building new homes but rather to building a new way to live in a new culture and freeing ourselves from an America that has lost itself in an endless nightmare called Trump.
60
@Michael
Bravo Monsieur, bravo ! I did very much the same in another country and uprooted to Scandinavia for a time. (although a piece of me heart still is in France)
The smiles on the travelers we meet, and the genuine affection of new/old friends are the true ''arts'' of life, non ?
6
@FunkyIrishman....thanks for sharing your life experience. Sometimes the best life experiences are the most unplanned.
The last fifteen years in France have been the best years of my life!
2
Vive le désengagement!
6
I’m absolutely talentless at music, painting, sculpting or anything else that remotely requires artistic skills. On the other hand, I am an excellent driver with a lot of race track experience.
My clumsy self is transformed behind the wheel of a powerful car. I can feel car, I can push it at the limit into the corners, I can read the road surface, I love fighting the g-forces and feeling the car slide on the knife-edge of its physical limits. The more powerful the car, the better.
That is my art. Penning the perfect lap time is my talent. So forgive me if I’ll stick to my sportscars, and no, it’s not a midlife crisis. It’s what I do best.
7
@Andy
0 - to beyond mid-life crisis in under 60 seconds.
( sorry, I could not resist, forgive me - smile )
"... I can push it at the limit into the corners, I can read the road surface, I love fighting the g-forces ..."
You might be good at skiing too. :-)
The meaning of life can be very complex for some, which drive them full tilt, sometimes leading to crash into brick walls. For others. it may be simple and be held in the hand by brush to swirl some paint.
I think deep down, all of us just want to be seen for our true selves, which decimal points in a bank account cannot convey. We all want to leave something behind, when the fear of taking one's last breath creeps up on us.
I meself, have taken up blogging, and writing, and painting and, and, and ...
11
That's nice: if people can afford to be creative these days. Twas a time when creative people didn't need to have had a prior career or even have been a President (43, now a painter) in order to afford creativity.
5
"Twas a time when creative people didn't need to have had a prior career ..."
Those people were called "starving artists". Confer "La bohème" by Puccini.
There have even been professional "hunger artists". Kafka wrote a story about one ("A Hunger Artist", 1924), although Kafka himself had a day job.
In 2019, when I am 62, my first book will be published. When I am 64, if all goes well, I will have completed my first graduate degree. Two years ago, at 59, I became a volunteer baby hugger. If this is a midlife crisis, then I love it!
108
There doesn't seem to be much evidence in this article that anything has changed in terms of the number of people taking up art classes in a prescribed age range.
And the swath of ages represented here extends well past middle age.
It's also a bit ageist to suggest that individuals who take up painting in their spare time at 15 or 32 are pursuing art in some authentic way, but if they do so at 52 it's in response to a midlife crisis...
Most people I know who make art have been doing so, to some extent, their whole lives, and their underlying motives have been quite consistent.
42
The painter Maurizio Catellan once said "I don't know what a painting does to the observer, but to the painter, it saves his soul". No matter what we do but if it reflects our innermost feelings and passions then it will be immensely satisfying to the Soul.
23
Anecdotally, my creativity has been expressed in a number of different ways throughout my adult life. I played in bands in my twenties and thirties while also maintaining a full-time job. In my forties, I used my growing professional expertise to start my own business with a partner. (Anyone who thinks starting a business isn't a creative exercise is profoundly ignorant.)
In my early fifties, I focused on making money as my kids went to college. After 2008-9, making money was difficult, but trumpet playing, songwriting, recording, etc. offered a needed sanctuary from financial concerns and a wonderfully creative outlet with old bandmates.
Now in my sixties, a pleasant mix of profitable business and music continue. Together with church activities, it's a full life.
By the way, I have owned and enjoyed fast sports cars since forever and still do. Priorities and emphases vary over time, but sporty cars are always important!
8
Having been involved in the arts for decades I applaud those who decide that the meaning of living involves creativity or learning in any form. It opens one up to new ways of expression and also the appreciation of others' work and ideas. It is richest when it is not an ego trip. We need to foster this sort of "self-sufficiency" in lieu of consumerism or the deluded feeling the meaning of life is belonging to a club, or having the biggest and best of everything. Creativity takes so many forms, we have only to look around to find what is most meaningful to us.
7
I wonder what her child thought, hearing that.
It only the proximity of death that stirs up such thoughts. Depression, cumulative disappointments, abrupt life changes and overwhelming self doubt can bring existential angst front and center. I have participated in many wellness retreats and “self-love” workshops, in which people bare their souls and their pain. Emptiness is a common theme. People need to feel that they matter. Searching for meaning is a basic human quest. That’s why we have religion.
Suggested reading : Man’s Search for Meaning, by Victor Frankl
8
My husband points out that his anxiety and depression lifted when he retired.
21
If you are inspired, support the arts in any way you can. Volunteer. In schools, music festivals, art shows, theatre, museums, et al.
There are ways of being involved in the arts that are very rewarding. Share the *eARTh* with as many as possible.
It's contagious too!
8
As I begin midlife, I am learning that I am a herbivore. So, my goal is to eat more plants than before.
7
New activities, hobbies, diversions are all expressions and attempts of replacing the unsatisfactory aspects of one's life and/or to fill the time left over from other activities. Less pontificating on, and more support of, this trend is that, what is needed.
2
You can have both. A fast car and creativity. It goes like this: Sports car, advanced cooking skills, master gardener transformation, meditation and the understanding of humanity, the dominance of the Ego, the insanity of the Ego and the reason for being.
,,,,And the realization that nothing real can be threatened and nothing unreal exists and somewhere in between we realize what and who God is, and we stop fearing death, and become happy minds at peace as we understand that peace is for the living not the dead.
It is a state of surrender to Love and an Ego-less mind and a lifting of the veil that keeps us bound to judgement, fear and misery.
...And as you climb the ladder, you realize that there are billions of other minds searching in a hopeless world where their Ego constantly tells them to seek and never find. And, you ask yourself why we must suffer so much to simply decay and die.
Our story is the story of the Prodigal Son who left home, got lost, fell asleep and continues to live in a dream.
...And the day we awake we will be back at Home and be glad that scarcity, suffering, judgement, fear and death never existed because it was all a dream.
11
A lot of us become interested in art and creativity because we spent our lives suppressing it and getting it beat out of us. Work, children, the drudgery of 8 to 5, traffic, caring for parents, etc. I loved creating as a child, and now that I can actually see retirement in the future, making things again is wonderful. I doubt most of us intend to take the art world by storm, or take money from the hands of some concerned artists. (See other comments.) We just want to feel the joy. Don't begrudge us.
82
Becoming famous or rich from painting, acting, performing or writing in today’s culture—our commodity culture—has more to do with being in the right place at the right time than talent. Then again, the “masterpieces” of the past were labored over primarily to put food on the table. I had to work my entire life supporting a family of four. At 75 and retired, I sew, write, paint—everything I did before marriage and children. We have so many opportunities now to join with writing groups, self-publish, join local theaters or musical groups. If one has the energy, go for it. Allow yourself. Enjoy without fear and judgement, which make even better outcomes. Forget competition.
23
Creativity in later life need not be limited to the visual arts and music. Creativity, in my view, is an attitude that prompts you to approach routine things in your life with a willingness to try some variations, and keep alive a sense of curiosity and wonder about new possibilities. Finding your own recipe for chocolate chip cookies is creative; so is smiling at more people than usual, and writing your best ever comment to the Times, and learning something new. And finding new ways to help others and add something good to their lives.
167
Yes! I agree!
2
I see. The irony that everybody can be creative, when only those who are called are creative.
I disagree. Creativity is a habit of mind. Habits of mind can be developed. Try lately?
12
Creativity is an approach to life that allows one to invent, reinvent, play and go forward without knowing the results before they happen. It's not about painting, photography, music, or product.
I've been a visual artist for 50 years, and I've taught scores of creative students. It's become clear to me that while the product for me is art/artifacts, I approach other aspects of my life in a similar way.
Creativity isn't producing a product, it's an approach to life.....a way of being in the world that allows one to hear new ideas and try new ways of doing things.
49
Yes, exactly. Artistry is a matter of taking risks. And being an artist has nothing to do with the quality of your painting or music or whatever. It is a mindset. Be absorbed and focus on preparation. Do not take credit for your "creativity." It was there all along. But do take credit for your disciplined efforts to bring it to the light of day.
15
Perhaps a volunteer gig? That would seem like a step up from a fast car. And it would validate the benefits of fast cars. But judge not lest ye be judged.
1
Exactly. As an artist myself, the greatest gift as been the ability to see possibility where others see limitation or boundaries.
A friend, in her mid-fifties, recently had a serious medical episode with no forewarning. She was hospitalized for a week. At one point she thought that she could possibly die.
She is pretty successful in her career, has a wonderful child and a large social circle. Yet, she mentioned that her thoughts during the hospitalization were, "is this all there is, what a meaningless life I have lived".
I guess a crisis brings things to focus, and gives me pause about my own life.
14
I wonder what her child thought, hearing that.
It is not only the proximity of death that stirs up such thoughts. Depression, cumulative disappointments, abrupt life changes and overwhelming self doubt can bring existential angst front and center. I have participated in many wellness retreats and “self-love” workshops, in which people bare their souls and their pain. Emptiness is a common theme. People need to feel that they matter, that their lives matter. Searching for meaning is a basic human quest. That’s why we have religion.
Suggested reading : Man’s Search for Meaning, by Victor Frankl
2
Ironically, my midlife crisis was caused by my inability - between work and family - to focus on my creative outlet: photography. At the time, I really needed that outlet, but I was crushed on both sides. Instead, I bought a VW GTI and drove really fast with really loud music to work it out.
Approaching 50, I've both made my peace with my limited capacity and made a stronger commitment to art. Art matters. But so does everything else.
12
I belong to the Marin Photography Club, and most of our members are older than 50, and the average age is probably 68. We have twice a month competitions, and most of us have learned and continue to learn sophisticated programs like Photoshop. We compete and do well in open, juried competitions and support each other. Almost none of us were photographers in our previous lives.
We have unleashed our creative talents and also made more friends. This has really given new emphasis to our lives. Our cameras are our paint bushes, and we use them well
22
“People see creativity as the solution to the midlife crisis,”
I'm not sure creativity is a 'solution' to anything, but doing creative things sure does feel good. It's a form of play, and too many of us have forgotten how to play in this serious world.
60
Highly recommend Nell Painter’s book, Old In Art School: A Memoir of Starting Over. Nell’s reflections are a wonderful validation of the joy and challenges of beginning a new life filled with discoveries — new ways of seeing, new ways of hearing, new ways of critiquing, new ways of producing, and of course, new ways of being.
8
Don't discredit the benefits of fast cars.
At forty-five, my wife encouraged my to buy my first Porsche, a four-cylinder 944S. At seventy, it was a 6-cylinder 911. At 74, a faster 911S. Who knows where this will lead.
Va! Va! Va!
53
"Who knows where this will lead."
To a speeding ticket?
1
Why wait to retire to take an art class? Retirement may never come. Once a week art class isn’t about a midlife crisis. It serves as an outlet and time to put down the smartphone. I’m not trying to become famous or sell anything, I just need time to clear my head same as if I go for a walk or a swim (which serves as inspiration for creativity.)
69
Fast cars are fun. Art is the op-ed that never stops.
7
Ferrari? Alfa Romeo? Please.
I picked up an acoustic guitar 25 years ago and have never looked back. As I get up in my years, it’s been my favorite leisure activity. I don’t need the typical toys many relied on in years past.
As an amateur now at the intermediate level, I’ll always be learning. The guitar - or any instrument, for that matter - offers endless possibilities to those who commit to learning to play. I’ll never know all there is to know, so I’ll be learning forever. Unlike a book which ends, a car ride which reaches its destination, or any hobby with a finite ending, the guitar has given me something to both strive for and look forward to each and every day.
No crisis here. Rock on...
86
Yes! I took up guitar at 70 with fading hearing and stiff fingers. I take a lesson every week, and hate to miss a day of practicing and playing. It’s so much cheaper and more rewarding than therapy. No Porsche for me, but I love my Santa Cruz.
36
I very much appreciated this op-ed. Now that I am at the end of my thirties, I feel something of a mid-life slump (crisis would be exaggerated). I am not interested in purchasing material goods, reconstructing my world, or doing something irresponsible; I just want to break through the stagnation of my daily life a bit and tap into the parts of myself that rarely get engaged.
Time was, life itself felt ceaselessly full of prospects. Now, at an older age, I just have to look more focusedly for opportunities to develop myself.
18
Thank you for reading!
2
I couldn't help but hear echos of Viktor Frankl and logotherapy in this article. Frankl's main work is Man's Search for Meaning, and in it he talked about his experiences in the concentration camps. He said very convincingly that life can be lived meaningfully under any circumstances, including those that he endured. This article highlights finding meaning through creative values, which includes finding your purpose in life. As the article shares, it isn't always easy to go down this path, but it can be very worthwhile.
15
Creativity is a natural gift. Those who manage to revolve their life around their creative talent are truly fortunate. Sadly, we should admit that gifted people are a small minority. So I wouldn't discard sports cars and "boozy affairs" right away. Also, we all know how often creative personalities indulge themselves in both.
18
I started taking piano lessons in retirement. I'm really awful, but I'm trying. And I'm enjoying the progress I'm making, even though that progress is abysmally slow. Won't be doing any concerts though - I still feel guilty inflicting my playing on my husband!
7
We are all artists; we all create our lives (for better or worse). You don't have to be an awesome artist to be creative. Doodle in a sketchbook, write a silly poem, create a new dance move. The end product is not the reward; it's the process of being silly and free and experimenting.
You don't need to be a great artist to do creative things. You just need to be willing to set aside the judging ego and play and have fun. The goal is not the end product,; the goal is to enjoy the creative process. Doodle in a sketchbook; write a silly poem; come up with a new dance move. Seriously, try it!
So what do artists and other creatives do when they have a mid-life crises? Take up tax accounting?
214
Good question indeed. We get jobs, any jobs, because no one buys art anymore and there are way too many painters, writers, dancers, and persons who change their names once having found their 'art'. So maybe a few too many Skylarks, Sweethomes, Earthens, and etc.
Creativity is a struggle, a joy, a burden, a curse. It descends unannounced. Good luck anyway with all that, but I think there are less anodyne descriptions of creativity and its impact on life than in this muddled article.
30
Bravo JDB. should be an Editor's Pick.
2
I suggest people take up the practice of "less is more" by using less products, paper goods for instance, less electricity, recycling and being helpful to the planet when they hit their mid life crisis, engaging in political activity such as door to door canvasing to save America from the GOP, as well as opening the door to creativity!!
Try studying a foreign language with a group of friends.
Start with the one you've already studied in school, just to get warmed up, and then try a new one. Best brain exercise there is, and it gives you an excuse to study abroad. Trust me. You'll feel like a college student again!
96
That’s what I’m doing!
1
The only thing I've ever done is write and perform: two skills which brought success in the arts and in business alike. Now retired at 71, I continue to write and perform, mostly on video. So grateful to those who supported my efforts down the years! I did what I wanted and was born to do; somehow it all worked out.
Thank you.
13
What an interesting mix of readers' comments so far. I am an artist, still working and also doing art stuff on the side. I did the art fair circuit for awhile and may go back to that sometime. I think it's great for people to explore their creative side.
The things that I find really rewarding are Saturdays volunteering at the Chicago Food Depository, or other kinds of volunteer work. There are so many in need and so many ways to help them.
78
Great column. I only wish to add that Montaigne has written the definitive handbook on how to handle free time passed the age of 39. His essay on Oisivté (loafing) is fantastic. After retirement, you have to learn to live honestly, obedient to intrinsic values, instead of accommodating extrinsic demands. Children and retirees have nothing more important to do with life than to be creative with it. Thanks!
16
Creativity has to be a part of our everyday life and not just something one starts when midlife crisis hits. It may appear in small and different ways. To me, creativity is like air -- we need it to survive.
29
I've done all the "re-inventing" of career, volunteer, consulting, creativity that I'm going to do. I really want the two seater sports car - just enough for me and my purse! However, I just bought a "mini van" that seats 8 so I can take more than 3 of the grandkids at a time - along with my golf clubs. Sigh. . . . . there really isn't a re-creation or car that could replace that joy.
I'll have to take a pass on the "boozy affair" :)
13
The most cruel of ironies is that as those who have had steady careers outside of the arts are now looking for meaning in the arts. While those brave enough to live creative lives as artists from the start wither come middle age. Artists, having spent their twenties and thirties in a freelance arts industry with no benefits and pension face financial insecurity. The arts industry with it insatiable hunger to find the newest, hottest thing turns away from most artists before they hit 40, only keeping an eye on the few artists that have any investment value. We romanticize the creative life. We believe that the arts can bring us an understanding of ourselves. An industry built on helping people find their creative voice is just another industry looking to make money by exploiting the unhappy choices many make in life. Middle age is the time many artists finally give up and get that office job just at the time those who spent their youth at the office will now go out and buy an easel. Perhaps, the real answer is to find a way all of us can live a creative life for our entire life. An unlikely dream given how little we support the arts in this country.
200
"Perhaps, the real answer is to find a way all of us can live a creative life for our entire life. An unlikely dream given how little we support the arts in this country."
Many people make a living as artists, and they are like any other businessman working for himself. If you choose to depend on yourself for a paycheck, you assume the risks and rewards of the road you chose. You don't owe anybody anything, but neither are you owed anything by others. If there is a market for your product, and you are smart and hardworking,you will be successful. If you aren't successful, well, those are the breaks. Sorry.
5
You can get a loan or a grant to start a retail clothing brand more easily than you can get a loan to produce a series of paintings. Why? Because the commercial banking industry has no grasp on the idea of branding related to fine art or that it is any different than developing a brand for clothing, or the idea that developing a name for a clothing company is no more risky than developing a brand of fine art. They just can’t grasp the tangibles and think that art isn’t a real profession. This is where you have the blinders in. Artists don’t think they deserve something for nothing. They are just dealing with a system of commerce and a culture who thinks that business and art are not one in the same.
5
That sounds very cynical. There are different ways to approach life and earning a living. Nothing wrong with getting a "regular" job and later on expressing your creativity.
My parents were artists who struggled and suffered greatly due to financial insecurity. There was nothing noble in that. What was noble was the time they spent protesting the Vietnam war and social injustice, but I digress.
There's nothing fake about earning a good living and raising a family. It's a lot of work. Nothing wrong with taking advantage of some free time and disposable income later in life to enjoy being creative.
It's about choices.
5
Well okay but buying the right tap shoes sounds a bit like just more buying something if you aren't going to commit to at least becoming moderately well versed in tap dancing. What sets artists off from dilettantes is commitment. It's fine to try some endeavors but in the end one needs to go deep into an art or craft to connect with the muses and find the right stuff inside.
31
If you want to try dancing with no fancy equipment, try contra dance or other folk dance. There are plenty of groups all over the country and they're family friendly: no intoxicants allowed and open to a variety of ages and experience levels. You may have to pay a small fee (usually around $5-7) to cover the cost of renting the dance space and musicians.
Not only is it good physical exercise, it is good for your mind as well. My husband has two left feet and jokes that contra dance gives "rarely used neurons" a real workout.
7
Hi Ted. Buying my shoes was committing! I'm never going to be Savion Glover. But I don't have to be, either.
14
When someone takes the time to realize they may live to be 90, it's somewhat terrifying to think that they'll never take the time to express themselves in a creative and meaningful way. They may recognize that the parameters of their work are restrictive. Not to mention the obligations of being a responsible adult (i.e. bill paying, child rearing, etc). An opportunity to be creative, whether it's in cooking/baking, gardening, writing, performing can be simply exhilarating. Having the confidence and sense of self that can come with maturing surely allows for one to express their creativity.
18
Just to second the motion; when I sold my last company at 55, I turned down further offers to work in the industry, feeling it would amount to emotional suicide. Instead, I started writing a memoir. took piano lessons and now write and record my own music, and took acting lessons, from which I've appeared in major TV shows and a Coen Brothers film. And yes, I still work, consulting to executives about breaking their lingual habits to creatively communicate for affect and outcome.There isn't a new car on the planet that could replace any of these joys!
51
The sooner we accept that we will die, the sooner the "mid life" crisis abates.
And please, don't get an MFA. Befriend other artists who are astute and intelligent and willing to critique your work.
Lastly, don't expect a living as an artist of any kind.
21
Very interesting, this idea of "creativity". Painting and tap dancing without any talent, but lots of passion for busting out of a boring life that requires planning until death or disability.
Maybe for those who would have actually bought a Porche as a mid-life answer to something, but for those like myself, approaching 73, I have opted for a 2nd mid-life "crisis" with a 2007 Aston Martin V8 Vantage. That engine can sing notes, with just 8 cylinders, that amateur singers can only dream about.
God bless those who transcend ego and pursue their dreams of below par performance, just like a boorish Porche. There's nothing wrong with having a fling at enjoying the open road, in lieu of dabbing acrylics on a canvas that you will either throw out or put in storage for your children to throw out, when your gone. Gee, dad didn't have much talent, but he sure had a passion for escaping the mundanity of life by painting after taking that course on reinventing himself. ;-)
12
I think the issue is not so much trying to tap into some inner muse of creativity as it is to maintain a life long pursuit of learning.
Complacency is death with a long lead time.
Learning keeps your intellect and your soul active until the day you die.
86
Better late than never, I guess. But some creative activities need to start early enough in life to develop into maturity and it takes a lot of time, hard work, discipline and experience to reach that point where meaningful results occur. Not to say that engrossing hobbies can't be meaningful or intensely pleasurable. By all means, go for it and see what happens. if you can eliminate ego driven ambition and be satisfied with just "doing it," no matter the results, all will be well.
True art requires Vision, that rare thing that can't be taught and comes from who knows where, but, without it, and the need to express it, creativity, at best, becomes merely a pleasant activity. Nothing wrong with pleasant activities and just the willingness to try can lead to deeper meaning .
The great impediments to creativity have always been conformity, the pursuit of comfort and the need to have a "paying job." People find out late in life that playing it safe results in a safe life and often a nagging dissatisfaction and art doesn't come from playing it safe.
51
Yeeeaaah, I'm going to go ahead and stick with my Dodge Challenger RT Shaker, my creativity peaks when I hear the roar on the engine...
29